What is meant by sexual assault?

Sexual assault cases often bring the cry from those accused in anger management that ”I hardly touched her” implying that in their view it wasn’t sexual assault, or they will even say that she enticed them like Eve in the Bible.

What these men don’t understand is the law has shifted in the last thirty years. Originally rape was deemed as sexual assault. So the law looked at sexual penetration as the defining behavior. This has changed to encompass much more than rape. There are three levels of assault. Level 1 where the sexual integrity of victim is violated. This includes unwanted touching and groping. Level 2 is where there is assault using threats or a weapon to cause bodily harm. Level 3 is aggravated sexual assault where physical harm or wounding occurred. This would include rape.

Level 1 is where most sexual assault happens. Teenagers represent the largest percentage in level 1. Sadly this is not surprising as that age group has few empathy skills and have no idea the effects they have on the opposite sex. It is also a mark of twisted boy honour to have touched females physically. On the other hand many boys’ insensitivity will disappear at the idea of pedophile molesting.

Respect for another is a basic requirement in life and is the most personal when it comes to sexual assault. To touch physically requires the other’s permission, otherwise-back off.